Cabinet construction



April 21,- 1964 Filed NOV. 13, 1962 H. J. LOEWENTHAL ETAL 3,129,841

CABINET CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS HENRY a". LDEWENTHAL & EARL H. MAGEZSTER.

THEIR- ATTORNEY April 21, 4 H. J. LOEWENTHAL ETAL 3,129,841

CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 13, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS HENRY I LOEWENTHAL @EARL H. MAeEsTER THEIR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,129,841 CART CONSTRUCTION Henry J. Loewenthal and Earl H. Magester, Louisville,

Ky., assiguors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 13, 1952, Ser. No. 23,90 2 Claims. (Cl. 22ll62) The present invention relates to a sheet metal cabinet and is more particularly concerned with the construction of the outer shell member of a refrigerator cabinet or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shell member for a cabinet including a new and improved corner construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet shell member formed from a single sheet of material bent to form at least two walls of the shell member and including means for forming a strong rigid corner construction between the walls.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description thereof and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the clahns annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In carrying out the objects of the present invention, there is provided a shell member for a refrigerator cabinet or the like, which shell member comprises a single sheet of material bent to form at least two outer walls of the cabinet. These walls include inwardly extending flanges along the front edges thereof which define a portion of the cabinet face. The mitered joints at the intersection or junction of the flanges is of an improved construction designed to provide a rigid and strong shell. This corner construction includes a double layer web portion of the sheet material integral with the outer portions of the flange edges forming the joint, which web portion extends rearwardly from the flanges with the layers thereof spot welded together adjacent the flanges or in other words at the base of the web portion. Each of the flanges are also provided with stiffening channel sections which extend along the inner edge and on the rear side of the flanges but which terminate short of the corner. For the purpose of strengthening the corner construction and providing a backing for brazing material bridging the space between the flanges, there is provided an angle bracket including arms respectively engaging and welded to the adjacent channel sections and a tab integral with one of the bracket arms and overlying the space between the inner edges of the flanges adjacent the corner of the cabinet. The portions of the web adjacent the cabinet flanges and the tab provide backing means for brazing material filling the space between the flanges at the corner of the shell member.

For a more detailed description of the invention reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet incorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary rear view of the corner construction of the cabinet of FIGURE 1 taken generally along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the sheet metal blank from which the shell member of the cabinet shown in FIG- URE 1 is made;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the corner construction obtained by bending the blank of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the reinforcing bracket forming part of the corner construction of the finished shell member of the present invention.

A 3,129,841 Ice Patented Ap 21, 1964 Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, there is shown a refrigerator cabinet comprising an outer or shell member 1 and a liner 2 which in accordance with the usual practice have their Walls spaced from one another with the space between the Walls filled with suitable heat insulating material. The shell member includes a top wall 3 and opposed side wall 4 which are all formed from a single sheet of material such as sheet steel. The walls also include inwardly extending flanges 5 and 6 along the front edges thereof which flanges are integral with the walls and define a portion of the cabinet face surrounding the access opening to the liner 2.

For a more detailed illustration of the construction of the shell member and particularly the corner construction thereof reference is made to FIGURES 2 and 4. For the purpose of stiffening the shell member and helping to prevent it from deforming during its incorporation as part of a refrigerator cabinet and also during subsequent use of that cabinet, reinforcing channel sections are formed integral with the flanges 5 and 6. Specifically, the flange 5 extending along the top of the cabinet has an integral channel section 8 and the side wall flanges 6 have integral channels 9. Each of these channels includes a front wall 11 which is in contact with the rear surface of the flange 5 or 6 about the access opening to the cabinet, a rearwardly extending bottom wall 12 and an inwardly extending rear wall 14. The channels 8 and 9 are relatively shallow or in other words the width of the walls 11 are relatively narrow as compared with the width of the flanges 5 and 6 so that the bottom wall 12 of the channels is spaced from the adjacent outer walls of the shell member 1.

The corner construction of the shell member is substantially square. To this end the sheet material is bent so that the walls 3 and 4 form a relatively sharp right angle bend 15 at the intersections of the side walls 4 with the top 3 while the flanges 5 and 6 are mitered to form generally mitered joints therein at the corners of the walls 3 and 4.

One feature of the mitered corner joint forming part of the present invention is a web 18 formed integral with the flange portions 5 and 6 of the sheet material. This Web 18 is folded upon itself during formation of the corner so that it extends rearwardly from the flanges 5 and 6 in the final structure. The two layers of the web 18 are spot welded as indicated by the numeral 19 adjacent the flanges for the purpose of strengthening the corner structure. The web 18 is integral with the outer portions of the opposite edges 20 and 21 of the flanges 5 and 6 forming the mitered joints from the line of intersection of the flanges with the adjacent shell member walls to a point between this line of intersection and the inner edge 22 of the flanges 5 and 6. In other words the web 18 does not extend the full length of the mitered joint or the edges 20 and 21 of the flanges 5 and 6 for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter.

For further strengthening the corner structure, there is provided a bracket generally indicated by the numeral 24 having arms 25 and 26 which are adapted to be spot Welded respectively to the channel members 8 and 9. The arms 25 and 26 of this bracket as is shown more clearly in FIGURE 5 of the drawing preferably are each of L-shaped cross section and are of a shape such that they will respectively engage in overlapping relationship the bottom and rear walls of the channel sections 8 and 9.

In order to provide operating space for the welding equipment required to make the spot weld 19 and to facilitate the forming of the sheet material into the desired corner structure, the channels 8 and 9 are shortened or in other words terminate short of the flange edges 20 and 21 as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. Preferably the channel walls 11 are spaced only a slight distance from the mitered flange edges and 21 while the bottom and rear Walls 12 and 14 are spaced a greater distance away in order to provide access for the spot welding equipment to the web 18. The bracket 24 is designed to bridge the gap between the ends of the channels 8 and 9 as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawing and in order to provide the required space for the bracket 24 the web 18 terminates at a point such that when the bracket 24 is in position on the channel members 8 and 9 the corner 28 of the bracket engages the inner edge 29 of the web 18. The web thus provides means for biasing the channel member 24 inwardly or in other words into firm engagement with the channels 8 and 9 so that the arms and 26 of the bracket are properly positioned to be spot welded at a plurality of points to the channel sections 8 and 9.

For the purpose of backing the space between the flange edges 20 and 21 so that the gap between these edges can be more easily filled with suitable brazing material to provide a smooth face portion for the cabinet, the bracket 24 is provided with a tab integrally connected to one of the arms 25 and 26 and extending parallel to the flanges 5 and 6 in a position such that it overlaps the space between the edges 20 and 21 when the bracket is in its proper position. Preferably, this tab 30 is also so shaped that it substantially bridges the space between the ends 32 and 33 of the front walls 11 of the channel sections 8 and 9 whereby there is provided a double thickness area in the corner portions of the cabinet which is of the same thickness as the double thickness portions surrounding the access opening to the shell member and formed by the flange 5 or 6 and the channel walls 11. By this arrangement, the tab 30 in cooperation with the channel walls 11 will provide a continuous surface on the rear side of the flanges 5 and 6 so that a liner 2 can be assembled with its edges overlapping this surface and the assembled cabinet can then be insulated by means of insulating resinous foam or the like without fear of loss or leakage of foam through the corner areas.

Additional advantages of the improved cabinet shell member of the present invention and its novel corner construction will perhaps best be understood from a description of the method in which the shell member is formed. A portion of the blank employed in forming the shell member is illustrated in FIGURE 3. Specifically the portion illustrated in FIGURE 3 is that part forming the corner structure. In the manufacture of the shell member from a substantially rectangular sheet metal blank of a size sufficient to form the side Walls and the top wall of the shell member, the blank is notched 'as shown in FIG- URE 3 to form each of the mitered corner joints at the two top corners of the cabinet. The notch or notches are of symmetrical construction. Each side of each notch comprises a first sloping edge portion 33 forming the ends of the rear and bottom walls of the channel members 8 and 9 and second sloping edge sections 34 forming the inner ends of the front Wall 11 of the channel sections. Spaced slightly from the edges 34 are the sloping edge portions 35 which form the free edges 20 and 21 of the flanges 5 and 6. Between these edges 35 there is provided a portion 36 which forms the web 18.

To form the shell member from the blank illustrated in FIGURE 3, the front edges of the blank are first folded along the fold lines 38, 39 and 40 to form the channel sections 8 and 9 and along the fold line 4-1 to form the line of intersection between the side walls 3 and 4 and the flanges 5 and 6. Thereafter by a multiple folding operation which involves folding the blank along the trans verse fold line 4-2 to form the top edges of the cabinet and along the fold lines 43, 44 and 45 to form the bent web 18, the final folding of the blank results in a corner structure illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. .At this point the spot weld 19 is formed in the web 18 in order to maintain the two layers of material forming this web in intimate engagement with one another and thus provide a certain degree of rigidity to the folded structure. There after the bracket 24 is placed in position with the L-shaped arms engaging the rear surface of the rear channel walls 14 and the outer surface of the bottom channel walls 12 with the corner of the bracket 28 in engagement with the inner edge 29 of the web 18. In this position, the tab 30 bridges the space between the ends 32 and 33 of the channel walls 11. Spot welds such as the welds 4-6 and 47 on each of the arms of the bracket then completes the corner structure.

It will be understood that, while in accordance with the patent statutes, there has been described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A shell member for a cabinet comprising a single sheet of material bent to form at least two outer walls of said cabinet,

said walls having inwardly extending flanges along the front edges thereof defining a portion of the cabinet face,

said flanges forming a generally mitered joint at the corner of said cabinet between said walls, said joint including a double layer web portion of said sheet material extending rearwardly from said flanges and terminating short of the inner edges of said flanges,

a weld joining the layers of said double layer web portion adjacent said flanges,

each of said flanges having a stiffening channel section extending along the inner edge and on the rear side thereof,

said channel sections terminating short of the corner joints, an angle bracket for reinforcing each of said corner joints positioned between said double layer web portion and said channel sections and including arms respectively engaging and welded to the channel sections, said angle bracket including a tab at the junction of said arms and formed integrally with one arm thereof, said tab overlying the inner edges of said flanges adjacent the corner of said cabinet and bridging the space between the front walls of said channel sections to form a backing member for braze material joining the adjacent portions of said flanges at said corner. 2. A shell member for a refrigerator cabinet including a liner spaced from said shell member,

said shell member comprising a single sheet of material bent to form at least two outer walls of said cabinet,

said walls having inwardly extending flanges along the front edges thereof defining a portion of the cabinet face,

said flanges having a generally mitered joint at the corner of said cabinet between said walls in which the outer edge portions of said flanges are connected by a double layer web portion of said sheet material extending rearwardly from said flanges, said web portion terminating short of the inner edges of said flanges whereby the inner edge portions of said flanges at said corner are spaced approximately the thickness of said double layer web portion,

a weld joining the layers of said double layer web portion adjacent said flanges,

each of said flanges having a stiffening channel section extending along the inner edge and on the rear side' thereof,

each of said channel sections being formed integrally with said sheet material and including a front Wall in contact with the rear surface of a flange, a rearwardly extending bottom wall and an inwardly extending rear wall,

said channel sections terminating short of the corner joint,

an angle bracket for reinforcing each of said corner joints positioned between said double layer web portion and said channel sections and including arms of L-shaped cross section respectively engaging and welded to the bottom and rear walls of the adjacent 10 channel sections, said angle bracket including a tab at the junction of said arms and formed integrally with one arm thereof,

said tab overlying the inner edges of said flanges adjacent the corner of said cabinet and bridging the space between the front Walls of said channel sections,

said tab forming a backing member for braze material joining the adjacent portions of said flanges at said corner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A SHELL MEMBER FOR A CABINET COMPRISING A SINGLE SHEET OF MATERIAL BENT TO FORM AT LEAST TWO OUTER WALLS OF SAID CABINET, SAID WALLS HAVING INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGES ALONG THE FRONT EDGES THEREOF DEFINING A PORTION OF THE CABINET FACE, SAID FLANGES FORMING A GENERALLY MITERED JOINT AT THE CORNER OF SAID CABINET BETWEEN SAID WALLS, SAID JOINT INCLUDING A DOUBLE LAYER WEB PORTION OF SAID SHEET MATERIAL EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID FLANGES AND TERMINATING SHORT OF THE INNER EDGES OF SAID FLANGES, A WELD JOINING THE LAYERS OF SAID DOUBLE LAYER WEB PORTION ADJACENT SAID FLANGES, EACH OF SAID FLANGES HAVING A STIFFENING CHANNEL SECTION EXTENDING ALONG THE INNER EDGE AND ON THE REAR SIDE THEREOF, SAID CHANNEL SECTIONS TERMINATING SHORT OF THE CORNER JOINTS, AN ANGLE BRACKET FOR REINFORCING EACH OF SAID CORNER JOINTS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID DOUBLE LAYER WEB PORTION AND SAID CHANNEL SECTIONS AND INCLUDING ARMS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING AND WELDED TO THE CHANNEL SECTIONS, SAID ANGLE BRACKET INCLUDING A TAB AT THE JUNCTION OF SAID ARMS AND FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH ONE ARM THEREOF, SAID TAB OVERLYING THE INNER EDGES OF SAID FLANGES ADJACENT THE CORNER OF SAID CABINET AND BRIDGING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FRONT WALLS OF SAID CHANNEL SECTIONS TO FORM A BACKING MEMBER FOR BRAZE MATERIAL JOINING THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID FLANGES AT SAID CORNER. 